Swans and Giants to play home in Sydney on same weekend; set to share flights for interstate matches
Normal transmission for the Swans and Giants is set to be flipped on its head when the game returns next month with both Sydney teams travelling as one party for away matches. Find out why
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Lance Franklin and Jeremy Cameron could be squeezed into the same exit row this season with the AFL to force fierce rivals Sydney and GWS Giants to live out the old saying ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’.
News Corp Australia can reveal the Swans and Giants are set to travel on the same chartered planes for interstate matches as part of the AFL’s essential next step in getting its COVID-ravaged season back on air.
Shared travel wouldn’t be the only way the ‘battle of the bridge’ adversaries are joined at the hip either, with the likelihood growing that the two clubs will perennially play groundhog day trial games against each other through the season to allow players outside the AFL squads to stay match fit.
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Since the Giants’ admission to the league, the two bitter foes have always had home matches scheduled on alternate rounds to ensure Sydney has an AFL fixture in town every weekend.
However, normal transmission is set to be flipped on its head when the game returns next month.
It’s understood under current plans, Sydney and GWS would play at home at the SCG and Giants Stadium on the same weekend, meaning the two bitter foes can then travel as one party for away matches to save costs.
For example, Sydney and GWS would fly to and from Melbourne together to play against
Richmond and Collingwood respectively on the same day.
On another week, the Swans and Giants might travel to Brisbane together, with one side to take on the Lions at the Gabba and the other bus down to the Gold Coast, before meeting back up again on the tarmac to pack back in next to each other for the flight home.
The AFL’s comeback strategy is to try and limit the contact of players and support staff to the outside world as much as possible, and pooling the Swans and the Giants together in the same travelling bubble makes sense.
It might not happen every week – for instance the Swans have already played in Adelaide – however with the prospect of South Australian and West Australian clubs being forced into Victorian or Queensland bubbles, the plan is for shared plane trips to happen more often than not.
Equally significant is the looming likelihood that the Swans and Giants will be forced to pull out of the NEAFL second-tier feeder competition – a move designed to eliminate contact with park footballers outside the AFL bubble.
More than half of an AFL list does not play AFL football on any given week, presenting a headache for the Swans and Giants on how to keep squad players match fit.
The matter is yet to be resolved, but the most likely resolution at this point is that Swans and Giants squad members would play each other in regular trial matches and oppose sessions.
It will get stale playing the same opposition every week, but coaches John Longmire and Leon Cameron may be left with no other choice.
One bonus is the teams will be allowed to continue using their home grounds, with the SCG and Giants Stadium not being used by any other code.
Swans star reveals snapshot of life after footy
Sydney Swans ruckman Callum Sinclair is almost busier in isolation.
While AFL players spend their extra time on gaming and TikTok, Sinclair has been hard at work, building a photography studio, producing his podcast and planning for life after footy.
“I’m under no illusion that football’s got a timeline, you’ve got a very short life span and to be brutally honest, you’re a long time retired,” Sinclair said.
“I got drafted into the AFL system later in my career, I was 23, so I’ve got a fair bit of experience outside the game, I’ve got an appreciation for people outside of football and what the real world is like.
“So I’ve always been proactive in that space, preparing for that transition at some stage.”
While playing footy, Sinclair has interned with Westpac, Hawaiian, QBE Insurance and the AFL.
He’s also worked in marketing and acted as a delegate for the AFL Players Association.
Now, Sinclair is about to open BKLYN Studios, a space he built where creatives can create content in Melbourne.
The Swan said he is excited to one day manage the studio himself.
“We gutted the whole place, put in brand new timber floors, built a cyclorama, a white screen for photoshoots, that’s proven very challenging but it’s pulled up well,” Sinclair said.
“Now we’re putting in new walls, building a new bathroom, and finishing off an office space for clients and for me, for when I’m managing it one day … the life skills I’ve learnt, getting on the tools, have been really good.”
Sinclair has also continued to produce his podcast, “Conversations With Cal”, during isolation, securing interviews with journalist Adam Spencer and actor Lynne McGregor.
“It’s really eye-opening and I love learning about people and their stories, everyone’s really different and unique, particularly in football, and it’s important to share that” Sinclair said.
The ruckman has also been training hard for when the AFL season eventually restarts.
With his teammates now spread across Australia, Sinclair said that the Swans have made it a priority to maintain close contact over the break.
“When you’re at the club, you’re surrounded by a ton of energy every day. When you’re removed from that, you need to check in on everyone.
“And we also have to self-reflect and work out what’s best for you in regards to your own mental health.”
Originally published as Swans and Giants to play home in Sydney on same weekend; set to share flights for interstate matches